


The Throne Warden's Redemption

by Mozart_the_Meerkitten



Category: The Wingfeather Saga - Andrew Peterson
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Feels, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, References to Torture, Self-Loathing, Shame, post Warden and the Wolf King, references to imprisonment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:14:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27249391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mozart_the_Meerkitten/pseuds/Mozart_the_Meerkitten
Summary: Artham finally manages to tell his family what happened to him and Esben in the Deeps of Throg. Their reactions are nothing like what he expected.MAJOR SPOILERS for books 2-4 of the Wingfeather Saga.
Relationships: Artham Wingfeather & Esben Wingfeather (mentioned), Artham Wingfeather & Janner Wingfeather & Kalmar Wingfeather & Leeli Wingfeather, Artham Wingfeather & Nia Wingfeather, Artham Wingfeather & Sara Cobbler, Artham Wingfeather/Aurendelle
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	The Throne Warden's Redemption

**Author's Note:**

> I have finally written a non-crossover Wingfeather Saga fanfic! This was definitely a scene I thought was missing in the books, so after spontaneously re-reading the "Artham and the Deeps of Throg" chapter in Monster in the Hollows I decided I had to write this. 
> 
> This is not proofread and I wrote it very fast and while I was full of emotions. I regret nothing.

Artham Wingfeather had dreaded this day. He had known that it would have to come, but now, sitting in the ruins of Castle Rysen with his family gathered about him it was so much worse than he had imagined.

It was just two weeks after they had returned to Anniera. Two weeks after the healing of the cloven and Fangs. Two weeks (give or take a few days) since they had brought Janner back to life with the water from the First Well and returned to rebuild their home.

There was nothing that Artham wanted more than to be happy and celebrate their return and the rebuilding of his home with his family. There was nothing that he wanted more than to marry Aurendelle, to settle down and finally have peace in his land and his heart.

There was nothing he wanted more than to deserve the loving, admiring looks the children gave him.

But he could not and he did not, and it was time his family knew why.

They sat before him now, the three Wingfeather children and Sara, along with Nia and Aurendelle. They sat on blankets on the floor, under one of the few parts of Castle Rysen that actually had a roof. Artham couldn’t look at them. He stared at the stone floor and twisted a thread between his fingers.

Finally he managed to begin.

“When Esben-” his voice caught on his brother’s name. He shut his eyes and took a breath. “When Esben-” he squeezed his hands together. How was he ever going to get through this if he could barely even speak his brother’s name?”

He felt a hand rest on top of his, and a gentle touch on his shoulder and looked up. Aurendelle sat next to him, his own pain and sadness reflected in her eyes. She didn’t say anything, but her quiet presence gave him strength.

“When Esben and I were captured,” he managed finally. “We were taken to the Deeps of Throg and chained in the dungeon, tormented by the Stone Keeper and the song, the song of the stones. We were there for so long, for years-” his voice cracked and he shuddered. “F-for years we were strong. We r-r-resisted. But the song and the voices and the screams so loud we didn’t know if they were our own, and the pain, pain, pain!” his voice rose to a screech and he covered his face with his hands.

He felt one of Aurendelle’s arms wrap around his shoulders and heard her whisper something to him, but he couldn’t understand it. He wanted to curl up in a dark hole and never be found. He wanted to slink away from the gazes of the children and Nia before they turned to anger and hatred.

But he had to tell his tale. They deserved to know what happened to their father.  
They deserved to know how Artham had failed.

“We song the sang- sang the song, Edsen bid it- Esben did it f-first, first,” he said, shutting his eyes and trying to cling on to his sanity. “I gave-gave-gave up. I c-c-couldn’t wear to batch it, bear to watch it,” he whimpered. “I stirted to sang, started to sing but Es-Es- _Esben_ ,” he forced his brother’s name out. “Saw me and I s-s-saw him. And I fealized I’d railed- realized I’d failed, I’d failed, I’d f-ail-ed!”

His voice broke into a keening sob and tears ran down his cheeks.

“I r-r-ran,” he whispered finally. “I l-left him. I left him.”

There was a long silence, broken by only Artham’s sobs. He couldn’t look at the children or Nia, he couldn’t look at Aurendelle. He knew they would hate him. He was a Throne Warden and he had failed. He had abandoned his brother and now the children didn’t have a father and Nia didn’t have her husband. He had failed them all when he abandoned Esben, and he deserved nothing but their wrath and hatred.

Finally footsteps approached him and a young voice spoke. “Uncle Artham?”

Artham forced his eyes open and found himself looking at Kalmar, kneeling down in front of him and looking earnestly into his eyes.

“You didn’t fail,” said Kalmar, quietly.  
Artham shook his head. “I left Es-Esben.”  
“But you didn’t leave me.”

Kalmar’s voice was fierce and Artham had too look at him again. Kalmar’s eyes were filled with tears, as Artham’s were filled with confusion.  
The boy continued. “When the Stone Keeper took me in the Phoob Islands you sang the song to save me. You carried me out of the dungeon, you brought me back to my family. You didn’t give up on me, you didn’t abandon me. When anyone else would have seen a monster you saw a lost little boy,” Kalmar smiled through the tears streaming down his face. “Whatever broke you and sent you running away from Esben sent you straight to us. _And we needed you_. The Maker needed you in Skree so that you could save me, and you’d never have been able to do that if you hadn’t come across the sea and found us. So thank you.”

And then Kalmar wrapped his arms around Artham and hugged him. Artham could only sit there, stunned, as the little king with such compassion and love in his heart held him, trying to squeeze the broken pieces of his uncle back together.

Footsteps, and suddenly Leeli and Janner hugged him from both sides and Sara held on to him from behind. A sob choked him, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

“We love you, uncle Artham,” said Leeli.  
“You saved us too,” agreed Sara.  
“And you love us,” said Janner, quietly. “Just like you loved our father.”

They stayed there for a while, and Artham felt himself enveloped by the love of the children. It pressed against him, and for the first time in nine long years he felt his shame start to slip away- not just to the deep dark corners of his mind, but _out_ of him. He could be loved, despite his mistakes.

Maybe he would not be broken forever.

Then, suddenly, Nia was before him, looking into his eyes with her own sadness and grief, and his shame returned in full force.

But she only reached out and cupped his face in her hand. “You did save Esben, Artham,” she said, quietly. “I meant to tell you, but so much has been happening- I forgot. And I’m sorry. But when he died he told me to thank you.”  
Artham’s eyes widened. “Thank me?” he whispered. “F-f-for what?”  
Nia smiled sadly, and tears fell down her already wet cheeks. “For the song, Artham.”

Artham felt his heart breaking all over again, and it was only the children holding him tight that kept him from falling apart. Fresh tears spilled from his eyes as Nia leaned in close and wrapped her arms around him too.

A hand gently stroked his hair, and Artham turned to see Aurendelle smiling at him, right before she too joined in the hug.

“I have never stopped loving you,” she whispered. “And no matter what you have done or will ever do you will always be the beloved of my heart.”

Artham Wingfeather sat on the floor, wrapped tight in the arms of his family.

They loved him.

In spite of all that he had done, they loved him.

And, assured of that love, his broken heart finally began to heal.


End file.
